Frank Christian
The drive to win soccer matches led the Canadian teams to extreme measures, including allegedly spying on their opponents.
A recent incident saw the women’s national team caught spying on a private New Zealand practice, unveiling a pattern of deceit and rule-breaking within the country’s soccer teams.
Both the men’s and women’s teams have reportedly engaged in spying on rivals’ closed practices “for years,” as detailed in a report by TSN.
The scandal dates back to at least the 2021 Olympics where the women’s team secured a gold medal in Tokyo, causing a significant upheaval within Canadian soccer programs.
Below is an outline of the unfolding scandal.
Overview of the Canada Soccer Drone Scandal
The scandal came to light when New Zealand women’s soccer players reported a drone hovering over their practice before their match with Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Initially considered an isolated incident, Canada distanced themselves from the “non-accredited member of the Canada soccer support team” responsible. However, a recent TSN report suggests this conduct has been ongoing “for years.”
TSN interviewed two sources with direct knowledge, albeit unnamed for security reasons.
Allegedly, spying on opponents was a task assigned to certain individuals within the teams, with staff members facing threats of termination if they refused to comply.
One of the sources disclosed, “In a couple of scenarios, people have been pushed and have been told, ‘You have to give 110 percent, and this is part of the job, so if you don’t feel comfortable with doing this, you do not have a place on the team.'” The uncomfortable nature of the task was acknowledged by those involved.
According to a source, team members utilized natural cover like bushes, fences, and trees to clandestinely observe rival teams during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This task was notably more challenging in foreign locations. Familiarity with training venues was easier domestically as coaches and executives were well-informed.
“When you’re abroad, it requires a little bit more research,” explained a source. “When you are in Concacaf events, you do have the ability of finding out where the rest of the teams are training because Concacaf, FIFA, and the Olympics, they all publish where the teams are training in one way or another.”
Though deemed cheating, the coaches justified this activity as gaining a competitive edge, citing commonality in the practice within the sport.
Following the recent drone incident, Bev Priestman, the head coach of the Canadian women’s national team, issued an apology and was subsequently removed from her role for the 2024 Olympics. Assistant coach Andy Spence stepped in as interim head coach.
“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” stated the Canadian Olympic Committee. As a result, Priestman was suspended, pending the outcome of an independent external review.
Priestman’s future with the team remains uncertain pending investigation findings.
The Sporting News will provide updates as new information emerges.
